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Bravo 029 (AAO)
Bravo 029 was a (later refitted as a ) "Pelican" Dropship that was active during the Human-Covenant War and long into the Post-War Era, sporting the longest operational history of any UNSC dropship when it was finally retired in 2598. Briefly taking part in the last of the UNSC's major counter-offensives against rebel groups on its most distant colonies, the Pelican would see action against the Covenant flying from the decks of multiple ships that looking back would become famous years later, and acted as a transport for Spartan personnel with surprising frequency, a trend which continued throughout its history. Seventy-five years after its construction, Bravo 029 was decommissioned and transferred to the in 2598, where it would remain on display as a final testament to its many years of service. Operational History Construction Bravo 029, serial number 75-429101, was built for the as part of a several hundred-aircraft contract with to equip new Navy forces being trained to fight the growing colonial insurrection. Constructed at Misriah's extensive aircraft plant on , it rolled off the automated assembly lines with its squadron on January 19th, 2523, and was accepted into the 18th Naval Air Wing after its final tests and inspection a week later. Assigned to the dropship complement aboard the new Hammerhead-class corvette UNSC Bum Rush, the craft was flown up to take its place by the woman who would become its permanent pilot, Lieutenant Junior Grade Angela Yasunaka. Though she had attended the on Luna and was notably a classmate of , Yasunaka had failed to earn a position aboard a capital ship and was disappointed by her assignment. Along with her co-pilot Ensign Mikail Gossard, however, Yasunaka would become renowned for her skill flying a Pelican. The Bum Rush's maiden slipspace voyage would take them to in the , where the Insurrection under the had begun to gain momentum. The UNSC responded decisively, assigning an entire Marine battalion to keep order and respond to attacks on the planet, and Bravo 029 would be responsible for ferrying soldiers and building materials from the troop transports Bum Rush escorted in, aiding in the construction of several garrisons planet-wide. In spite, or perhaps because, of the harshness of effectively placing the small colony under martial law, the URF continued to gather support and strength on the planet, turning Tribute into one of the major focus points and most dangerous battle grounds of Operation: TREBUCHET. Where before Tribute's colonists had been mostly only rebel sympathizers, sheltering fugitive dissidents and outspoken idealists, the UNSC's heavy-handed response turned many into willing Insurrectionist fighters. Terrorist bombings and incited riots spread like wildfire throughout the colony, and the skill of Bravo 029's pilots was put to the test once their foes acquired surface-to-air RPGs through connected cells in the URF. More and more often, the Pelican would ferry special warfare operators more suited to undertaking the pinpoint strikes necessary to deal with the small and thinly-spread groups of die-hard rebel leaders, including on multiple occasions Staff Sergeants and . As the conflict continued to escalate, more and more of Tribute was reduced to ashes by the combined work of Insurrectionist bomb shops and UNSC artillery, leaving little for either side to gain by continuing the fight. After the bombing in June of 2524, the Bum Rush was recalled to Reach's shipyards for more permanent repairs to the damage it had taken and patched during its tenure, and Bravo 029 was reassigned with its crew to the UNSC Spirit of Fire, a Pheonix-class colony ship that had been refit for military service. Battle of Earth ''Themistocles'' Technical Specifications Armament Being constructed late in the Insurrection Era, Bravo 029 was originally armed with a fixed to a 120-degree rotating mount under the nose, which was replaced in 2525 by a larger 70mm . Both weapons were used in anti-vehicle and anti-personnel roles, firing depleted uranium slugs capable of tearing through the armor plating on Covenant war machines. A second anti-personnel weapon was fixed inside the troop bay to be manned by the crew chief or other gunner: an . The weapon fired rounds and was intended to provide cover for infantry forces while boarding or disembarking under combat conditions. Finally, Bravo 029 carried a maximum of sixteen in two wing-mounted pods to provide air strike support. Though the new D77H Pelicans carried only twelve, during its refit Bravo 029 retained its larger missile capacity. Defenses and Countermeasures The dropship's titanium airframe is protected by an exterior layer of titanium aluminide, strong and highly resistant to heat while relatively lightweight. Underneath lies a composite armor layer of carborundum ceramic overlying an elastic meant to soften the impact of hits or collisions with it. A final spall layer is in place to stop any projectiles that get through before they can reach a layer of insulation that seals the pressurized compartments. In the event of a breach, all crew are equipped with vacuum-sealed suits and the troop bay's overhead storage includes oxygen tanks and masks for those without. An additional outside layer of boron nitride over the Pelican's front helps to withstand the heat generated by atmospheric reentry, and more armor is concentrated on the belly to protect against small arms fire from below. The Pelican also incorporates flares and regularly-updated to detect and throw off guided missiles, and for dummy rockets or Covenant fuel rod launches, the Pelican's thruster gimbles make the ship highly maneuverable. Operational Payload Bravo 029 can carry over 100 metric tons of cargo, be it in the form of personnel, ordnance, or supplies. Its troop compartment is lined by two rows of jumpseats that can securely hold a human during maneuvers, atmospheric, or exo-atmospheric flight, and still have room for more than a dozen people to stand on the 'blood tray'. This space can also be used to hold a volume of up to around 70 square meters, notably able to fit a pair of and rapidly deploy them. A pad with magnetic clamps is set under the tail behind the bay door, capable of securing a vehicle or to be dropped in the field, or can be used to mount an extension to the troop bay for carrying additional passengers. Notable Crew Angela Yasunaka A classmate of at , Angela "Angel" Yasunaka graduated with honors from the respected academy and was bitterly disappointed to be passed over for a position aboard a capital ship. First coming aboard as co-pilot during Operation: TREBUCHET, Angel learned a great deal from her predecessor and by the end of it was commanding the dropship herself. Proving herself among the best of pilots by surviving the first combat missions in the face of Covenant aircraft, Angel would quickly rise to element and then flight leader. While she could be competitive with her wingmates, Angel had a strong sense of respect for fellow pilots and ground-pounders alike. Mikail Gossard Gossard was born on and enlisted in the to help pay for higher education. Unfortunately for him, he and thousands of others were conscripted by the UNSC with the onset of the Human-Covenant War, assigned as the co-pilot and trainee on what was supposed to be a supply transport. Instead, Gossard would be forced to learn quickly to help stay ahead of Banshee attack craft and Phantom gunships. Although he had a tendency for sarcasm, Gossard came to care deeply for the rest of his crew, Angel in particular, though nothing ever came of his unvoiced concerns. Moses Wheatley Until Moses Wheatley joined them in 2525, Bravo 029 was shorthanded without a crew chief, forcing Ensign Gossard to pull double duty. His addition drastically improved the Pelican's efficiency, having begun his service as a mechanic in the early years of TREBUCHET. Wheatley had previously been involved in the as part of the classified training facility's base staff, keeping vehicles in working order for training purposes, and after befriending Vinh-030 instructed her how to repair most UNSC machinery. Though his years on Bravo 029, he continued to make use of his well-honed skill again and again, making field repairs to the constantly-damaged Pelican and the many ground vehicles it was responsible for carrying, even repairing a few human wounds due to his better medical training than Angel or Gossard. Category:Ahalosniper Category:Against All Odds Category:AAO Ships Category:Individual Ships Category:Zenith of the Dismantled Category:UNSC